Destiny's Eve
by Jonathan Anubian
Summary: Waking to a world she does not recognize after hundreds of years being dead, a young woman will have to learn to control her powers and fight for the Light in a centuries long war. This story follows the plot of the first game.
1. Charon

When its spark was first ignited it awakened to the world with a bright, curious, eye. At first there was no such thing as identity, no need for descriptions for it had only one purpose. To protect the Light that had given it form. Creator. Keeper. Defender of the light that silently watched over everything while it slumbered, helpless. But as time wore on things began to change. Amongst the other beings now called Ghost by their partners it became known as Charon and Charon was what the humans might consider 'male.' His personality and outlook changed the longer he spent on Earth, endlessly searching amongst the dead. Programming embedded deeply into his very spark calling him t find his perfect partner, a wielder of the light.

The longer the lone Ghost searched the more focused on his task he became, to the exclusion of all else. When greeted by other Ghosts or their Guardians he barely acknowledged their existence, and if he did it was more often than not a terse response before he continued his lone task. Over time the other Ghosts began to dwindle. Most found their Guardians quickly and left for the City, intent on their duty. Some moved on to other places, certain their Guardian could not be found on Earth. While some faced the Darkness and perished in the fight.

On and on he searched, each failure weighing heavy upon his tiny frame. Each false scan making him feel more hopeless and more determined to find his Guardian. Until that fateful day finally came to pass.

Searching the Russian Cosmodrome he had scanned practically everything in his centuries of searching. Everything except the old warehouses. A sense of dread came over him as he flew closer, scanning the buildings to test their structural integrity. "At least it doesn't look like it will collapse on my head…" Skeptical he would find much inside the warehouses he chose one that looked the least run down to start with. He'd had a few near misses in the past and it made him wary. Perhaps that was good, what with the Fallen skulking about in droves.

Charon started near the doorway, the old wood sagging and rotten from weather and age. Floating inside through a section of blown out wall he continued his work in silence. Only the sound of wind rustling through the old structure and timber creaking were present to keep him company. Inside he noted that there were more remains than he had assumed and once again he felt his hope rise. As with all Ghosts he was certain there was a reason he had yet to find his own Guardian. Certain that there was a grand plan and that he would be united with the one who made him feel whole.

Passing by a section of collapsed inner wall he scanned the area and something echoed off his sensors. A skeletal hand poked out from beneath the debris and Charon felt a jolt of excitement. It took a bit of work to unearth the body from the pile of junk on top of it, but it was worth it. When he finally finished he scanned the entire skeletal structure of the remains and his spark cried out with joy. He'd finally found his Guardian, at last!

Once the scans were complete he began the reconstruction. It was his first time bringing something dead back to life and briefly he worried that it would go awry. That the reason he hadn't found his Guardian for so long was because he was inadequate. Something deep within his spark comforted him, assuring him that he wouldn't mess up. Nothing could keep him from his Guardian, from their shared destiny.

Finally complete he heard a long gasp as the form on the ground began to twitch and groan. Long black hair fell down her back, between her shoulders, as violet eyes blinked in confusion. Simple robes covered her slender, petite, frame and he briefly wondered if she were a child. Had he made a mistake? Her head swivelled back and forth, looking at the destruction around her, then she looked up at him. There was no way he could be wrong about this. She was perfect, and she was his.

"I've been looking for you everywhere, Guardian." He said with a huff of exasperation, voice tinged with joy. Scanning the human, for that was what she was, he noticed something hanging from her neck as she stood on trembling legs. "Oh, what's this?" Coming closer he scanned the small card. It appeared to have writing on it, along with his Guardian's picture. "Te-ne-bree-ah. Tenebria? I'm guessing it's your name." Lifting the card up to look at it she frowned slightly, not recognizing the words and barely recognizing the image. Opening her mouth a couple times she closed it again and thought for a moment. "Wh-where am I? Wh-who are you? Am I?" She spoke with a soft alto voice, smooth and sweet. The woman was clearly disoriented and frightened. Since he'd never asked another Ghost what they'd done when their Guardian first woke up he was at a loss. At least he could feel reassured by the fact that she already knew how to communicate.

"There's not time to explain or dawdle here. There are enemies roaming about and it won't be long until they find us." He glanced around, single eye moving about almost frantically. Now that he had her he refused to lose her. "We should find you a weapon to defend yourself with." Blinking at him the woman slowly nodded. There was no time to lose. Charon had a Guardian to protect now, and he vowed he wouldn't let her down.


	2. A New World

From the moment her heart began to beat in her chest all she could feel was pain. Muscles twinged and spasmed, blood rushed through her veins like fire, and lungs screamed as she gulped in precious mouthfuls of air. Every sensation was wholly overwhelming and she groaned, the sound lost to her in her misery. The feelings didn't last long, though it felt like forever. Lifting herself with her shaking arms she took in her surroundings in confusion. Out of the corner of her eye she saw something hovering above her and looked up at it, startled. "I've been looking for you everywhere, Guardian." Guardian? What was that? Was she Guardian? Her head began to ache, why couldn't she recall anything? At least she was able to understand the little thing's words.

A strange light passed over her as she stood on legs that trembled like a newborn calf's but it didn't feel like anything dangerous so she wasn't bothered by it. "Oh, what's this?" Coming closer it seemed to inspect something hanging from around her neck, its voice curious. Looking down her body at the rectangle that dangled from her neck on a cord she lifted it with shaking fingers. "Te-ne-bree-ah. Tenebria? I'm guessing it's your name." It was her name? Trying to read the garbled symbols on the surface of the strange card she shook her head in frustration. Her mind was filled with a dense fog. Only the small portrait gave her a vague sense of recollection but nothing concrete. Letting the card go she looked back up at the small, oddly shaped, thing that had spoken to her. "Wh-where am I? Wh-who are you?" Her own voice surprised her, she did not think she would be able to make the sounds right with how awkward and foreign her body felt to her. Regardless she was proud of herself for speaking.

It hovered in the air, bobbing slightly as it's one robotic eye roamed around the abandoned building as if worried. "My name is Charon, I'm a Ghost. Your Ghost. There's not much time to explain or dawdle. I can sense enemies roaming about and it won't be long until they find us." Fear rushed through her body as she vaguely remembered… something. She wasn't sure what that cold shiver down her spine meant but it certainly couldn't be anything good. "We should find you a weapon to defend yourself with." Blinking her vibrant eyes she came out of her daze of thought and contemplated his statement for a moment before nodding. Defending herself was a good idea and this Ghost, as he called himself, seemed to have no ill intent toward her. She supposed he could be lying but to what end?

Taking a few steps forward she glanced down at her body in confusion and tilted her head. Charon hovered about her in a way that made her feel he was worried. Looking up at him questioningly she heard his impatient, "yes?" He sounded a little strained and she hoped that her new companion wouldn't overheat. If that was even possible. Fingering the fabric of the tunic she wore she blinked at him. Blank as her mind was her body seemed to remember that this was not something she was used to wearing. The armor was light but stiff and unfamiliar. He sighed. "Yes, I gave you some armor. Whatever you were wearing before had disintegrated. Besides, I doubt it would have been sufficient. Can we hurry it along? Enemies, remember?" Although he sounded frustrated and irritated with her she could hear the fear in his tone and gave him a reassuring smile.

A couple tentative steps later and she finally felt confident enough in her feet to begin walking. Stumbling over debris she was comforted by the constant presence of the Ghost as they moved toward the end of the warehouse in tense silence. Her attention was grabbed by something when she nearly tripped and she shrank back from a couple of skeletons on the ground. Pointing at them in worry she looked up at Charon, eyes wide in a pale face. Charon bobbed up and down slightly in a motion that might have been a nod. "Yes, I see them. This is what could happen to to you if we're not careful." Swallowing, her throat dry, she looked down at the skeletons again and carefully skirted around them. "Don't worry, I'm here with you. I won't let anything hurt you." Well… she was glad that at least one of them was certain of something at least. But the reassurance from her companion made her smile as they finally made their way out of the warehouse. Climbing through a giant gaping hole near the back she blinked, holding up her hand to ward off the bright light.

When her vision finally adjusted she glanced around and gaped in awe. Everywhere she looked giant structures made her feel small and insignificant. But they were all in ruins. What had happened here? No matter how she looked at it this place seemed to be completely abandoned. There wasn't a single other living thing in sight. Nudged by her companion she began walking again, curious about where they were headed.

Walking between two darkened buildings she thought she saw something part past a doorway and turned, startled. Beside her the Ghost swiveled and darted in front of her, sending out a grid of light. "We need to move." Racing off toward another building it called back to her, "now!" Twitching into action she broke into an awkward run, following Charon as he sped past more shadowy decrepit buildings. She wanted to ask him what they were running from but her lungs were on fire as she tried to keep her pace up.

Dodging past a metal box in her path she missed the bent metal lamp post across the path, hidden by tall grass, and tripped onto her front. Crying out in pain she caught the attention of whatever it was in the building. Shrieks and guttural roars met her ears and she trembled in fear. "Guardian!" Looking up to see her floating companion it hovered over something on the ground nearby. Getting up she bolted toward the object and grabbed it before she even had time to think about what she was doing. "I hope you know how to use that thing!" Holding up her hands she felt a surge of strangeness come over her as she turned to face the unknown threat. Odd four armed beings covered rooftops and stood menacingly on the street about ten yards away from her and she could feel cold sweat roll down her back. One of them was at least three times her size! Turning the gun around she aimed it toward them, her arms shaking. They began to yell in an incomprehensible mess of syllables and grunts, making her flinch. "You can do this, Guardian. Don't back down." Charon spoke from just behind her shoulder, hovering protectively, and she nodded as she tried to quench the hopelessly sick feelings in her gut.

The largest four armed creature raised it's arm, some kind of sword held in it's grasp. With a roar it sent the smaller ones into a frenzy and they swarmed toward her en masse. Closing her eyes she tried to squeeze the trigger but she just couldn't do it. Instead she turned tail and ran as fast as her trembling legs could carry her. "Guardian! Where are you going?" She could hear Charon calling her but it didn't stall her one bit. She was terrified, she didn't want to die!

Running through a darkened tunnel she came out on the other side and found her way forward blocked by more of those creatures. Charon hovered at her side, sounding angry and worried. "I told you not to run, now we're trapped." Breathing heavily, heart pounding in her chest, she backed away toward what remained of some kind of old barricade. Hiding behind it she pressed her back against the concrete, holding the gun in front of her. "There is a way to get out of this, but you'll have to fight. Be brave." Looking at him for a moment, her eyes filled with fright, she shivered and took a deep, calming, breath. "If you can scatter the ones on the left, where the weakest of them are, you can run past them and out into a more open area. It's worth a shot." Nodding rapidly she gripped the gun tighter. "On three." He said.

"One," she took another deep breath. "Two," she closed her eyes and steeled herself. "Thre-" before he could finish a loud roar filled the area, startling her. Jumping up she aimed her gun over the barrier, scared they were charging toward her and intent on protecting herself. What she saw had her captivated in awe. A large man in armor was killing the four armed creatures in an all out brawl. Using guns, his superior size, and glowing fists to smash the ground, sending out waves of blue energy that vaporized nearby enemies, he was quick to make the enemy back down. Her heart raced in her chest as she watched the large figure standing against the beings that wanted to hurt her. When he was finished, and the other beings had fled, a Ghost appeared beside him as well. She looked up at Charon, confused and curious. "Don't worry, it's just another Guardian. They won't hurt you."

Lowering her arms she warily watched the other Guardian as he came closer, his stride confident. "That's all I needed, Samson, thank you." The voice from behind the helmet was deep and commanding, but not cold. Reaching up he unlatched his helmet and pulled it off. Although he was giant compared to Tenebria the man was clearly human. This relaxed her somewhat, especially when he smiled in a friendly manner and held out a hand. She hesitated, looking between the man, his ghost, and Charon. "What is your Mission in this area, Guardian?" His tone was businesslike but kind, she shook her head in confusion, not quite knowing what to say or how to say it.

"If I may," the man looked toward her companion, looking confused. "I am Charon. This is my Guardian, Tenebria. She just woke up today." Understanding seemed to dawn on the man's face as he looked down at her. "I see. Then you've had quite an exciting first day back, huh?" His voice turned warm and his eyes were kind, making her relax slightly in his presence. "It'll all be okay now, there's no need to worry. We'll get you back to the tower safely." Giving him a small smile she watched as Charon conversed with Samson, the large man's Ghost. He was asking about what to expect now that she was awake. "Hmm," her attention went back to the large man. "We should probably leave immediately. You seem pretty disoriented and it would be a shame to have something happen to you, especially if I can prevent it." Charon came back to her as the other Ghost looked to his own Guardian.

"We're leaving for the tower now." The ghost vanished and Tenebria looked startled, looking at Charon. He sighed. "Yes, I can do that too. But I didn't want to make you panic. You're jumpy as it is…" He sounded grumpy but she smiled at him. If he'd vanished like that on her like that right away she would have freaked out. He eyed her for a moment before dissolving into particles of light that swirled around her for a moment and then were gone. 'I'm still here. We can talk like this. But only you can hear me.' She blinked. 'Oh, well then there's nothing to worry about. I thought if you vanished I would be left alone with this… guardian.' She realized then that he hadn't introduced himself and frowned. The man was busy looking around but she had no idea how to address him. "…guar-" She didn't even get the word out completely before more shrieks and roars began to fill the space. "Welp, no more time to waste here. Come on!"

Four armed creatures spilled out of another hole in a nearby building and she looked to the large man to tell her what to do. "This way. Stay close to me." Pulling out a weapon he shot a bunch of the creatures to clear a path and started to run. Tenebria tried to keep up but her much shorter legs were no match. The guardian must have noticed her struggling and put away his large gun. "Hold tight!" She heard before she was suddenly lifted under his arm, like an unruly child. Pulling out a handgun he continued to run, dodging gunfire and knocking out enemies that came too close. "Samson, the ship!" He hollered. "On it's way." His ghost appeared and suddenly she felt cold all over. Blue light filled her gaze and she shuddered.

Blinking she found herself sitting in a chair, surrounded by metal and a humming sound. 'You're safe. We're on a ship.' Charon's disembodied voice explained.

"Are you doing okay back there?" Her head snapped up and she saw the large man sitting in another seat ahead. "O-oh, yes. I am… okay." Her voice was still foreign in her ears and the sound came out a little raspy. She hadn't had anything to drink since she woke and her body sagged tiredly in in the seat. Now that the adrenaline had worn off she was completely exhausted. Looking down at her hands she flexed them carefully.

"We're almost to the tower." Placing her hands on her lap she played with her fingers, fidgeting nervously. So far all she had seen was destruction and ruins. Would this tower be the same? The ship sipped downward and she gripped her seat, closing her eyes and tucking her chin to her chest. The landing was a little bumpy but not as jarring as she thought it was going to be considering the size of the aircraft she was sitting in. How she knew what any of that was she had no earthly idea. "Come on, let's get you someplace where you can rest." The man said, holding out his hand to her kindly. Hesitantly she reached up and took it, letting him help her up. Honestly she was so tired she probably needed the help.

Outside the ship was a giant hangar that could support at least four or five more of them. Everywhere she looked there were people working. Welding, moving cargo, and talking in jovial tones. She nearly pressed herself into her savior's side as the noise bombarded her from every direction. Placing a hand on her back the guardian led her to a small elevator that led to a raised platform. Some men called out and her savior waved back, grinning. Up a set of stairs they walked past a humanoid machine that was sweeping the floor. Turning left they passed by archways that were made of what looked to be some kind of amber glass. Above them angry red lights and mounted cameras watched their every move. They passed through two of these archways and turned right. As they walked outside her eyes went wide with wonder. Walking over to the railing, as if in a trance, she stared out at the city in awe. 'This is the Last City of earth. I've never been here before, but I heard the other Ghosts talking about it. This is our home, Tenebria.' Her eyes were drawn upward at the large floating orb in the sky. 'The Traveler. It's what made me.' Before she could ask him more the other guardian tapped her shoulder. "Come on, I need to introduce you to some people."

Pulled away from the awe-inspiring view she was finally able to take in the courtyard. There were tall hexagonal structures jutting out of the ground with banners hanging from them. She was curious what they might be for. On the other side was a man in yellow and brown robes with blue skin. She didn't know if that was normal or not, though she felt slightly unnerved. But as she couldn't recall anything from before Charon woke her she decided to just let it go. They passed by a small, low, building where another humanoid machine was working. The machine mumbled something about a package that was floating but she wasn't able to hear the rest as she was led down a flight of stairs.

In front of her, prominently displayed on a wall, was a relief. It was some sort of coat of arms. Turning right they walked down another set of stairs. Walking past another giant man, with fur around his collar and a one horned helmet, she saw him nod toward the guardian who rescued her. He nodded back respectfully as they continued past him. Walking into an open space filled with monitors the guardian strode up to a long table in the center of the room. Standing over different tasks were three people in fancy clothing and armor. One of them looked up as they approached. She was a dark skinned woman in a fairly bright pink and purple coat. "Zavala." She said, her voice calm yet firm. The blue skinned man at the end of the table straightened, looking over at them. "Ah, welcome back, Guardian. Here to give your report?"

She clung to the guardian's back, hiding behind him as much as she could. Considering her height and slender form it wasn't all that hard to hide behind the mountain of a man. "Guardian Kay reporting in. Unfortunately I was unable to complete my mission in it's entirety. I found something out there that took precedence." Oh. So that was his name. In her panic and confusion she had never thought to ask.

Turning he smiled down at her and urged her to come out of hiding. 'No need to be so apprehensive. These people are all Guardians, they aren't going to hurt you. Can't you see their Ghosts?' Looking around she actually did spy their hovering ghosts and relaxed slightly. Stepping out from behind her protector she gave a hesitant smile. "Who is this?" The woman asked, looking mildly curious but also a little disgruntled. The guardian grinned. "A new Guardian." The three of them were all focused entirely on her now and she fidgeted in place. "I see. That is quite fortuitous. But where is her Ghost?" Appearing at her side when mentioned Charon observed the room warily, scanning things nearby for any danger.

"How long was she out in the field before you found her?" The woman asked again. This time Charon answered. "I found her just today." He sounded quite pleased with this fact and that made her smile. The third person, a humanoid machine with glowing eyes, whistled. "Wow, rough first day?" He asked in a playful yet gentle voice.

"She was being stalked and hunted by fallen. Took out a Captain rescuing her." Coming around the table the large blue man examined her a little closer, much to her concern. Like her savior he was quite large. Compared to either of them she was almost like a child. "Why don't you take her to the Zero Wing and report back here once she's settled in. She could probably do with some rest after such a hard day." Although his slightly down-turned lips made him look like he was constantly frowning Tenebria could see the kindness in his eyes. "Yessir." Kay said.

"Come on, let's find you a bed and something to eat." Turning she followed Kay to the entrance, glancing back only once. She would not be seeing them again for some weeks.


End file.
